


Open at the Close

by sippingonstardust



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), DC Extended Universe, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Sibling Fluff, college acceptance letters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 12:44:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18941206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sippingonstardust/pseuds/sippingonstardust
Summary: “Dear Miss Brown—”“No. Stop!”Dick lowers the page, eyebrows raised. “Do you want to read it?”





	Open at the Close

The letter feels heavy in his hands.

The paper’s thick. Firm and durable with an official school stamp in crimson ink headlining the page.

“Dear Miss Brown—”

“No. Stop!” 

Dick lowers the page, eyebrows raised. “Do you want to read it?”

Stephanie sniffs, tucking her knees up under her chin. She looks exhausted, dark rims under her eyes and blonde hair oily, swung up into a messy bun that’s almost comically bigger than her head. “….keep going.”

He clears his throat. “Dear Miss Brown, we—"

" _ Nghh _ ."

"Dear. Miss. Brown. W-"

Steph squeaks, dropping her head against the dining table.

“Steph.” She whines, her chair drags against the floor as she pushes away from the table. 

“Steph,” he repeats. “Stephanie. Hey,  _ Spoiler _ .”

“I can’t….” she looks up at him, eyes full of so much fear that he could’ve sworn that she was under the influence of one of Crane’s toxins. “I can’t do this myself. And I want you to….it’ll be better if it comes from you.”

Dick isn’t sure about that. But he is touched by the implication. Out of everyone in the family, she chose to seek him out before even slicing this envelope open. Not Tim or Cass, her best friends who keep all her secrets. Not Jason or Damian or Duke, her partners in crime. Not even Bruce or Alfred, the father figures she cherishes in the warmth of her heart.

No. She chose him. 

He starts again, speeding through it this time, not giving her the opportunity to interrupt him. “ _ Dear-Miss-Brown-We-regret… _ .”

She straightens, twisting her fingers into her bun.“Regret?”

“To inform you that you have been…. _ ACCEPTED TO OUR INSTI— _ ”

He’s cut short by Steph flinging herself across the table and grabbing the letter out of her hands roughly. She practically vibrates with excitement, wild and giddy as she scans the page. Delight floods him, rushing through his vein with affection and quiet nostalgia.

Distant memories of a younger Steph furiously stomping around the cave, mouthing off to Bruce and stealing Tim’s heart circulate around his brain like a sepia-tinted slideshow. She's older now. Learned and diligent and ready to take on the world. Boy did it make him feel old.

But he was proud too. Of the person she was growing into. Of her fearlessness and intelligence she carried. He was absolutely honoured to be her confidant. Her friend. Her brother.

“I did it!” she screams, throwing her arms around his neck.

And she did. Even under all the duress, all the trials and tribulations that blocked her path, she hand managed to get into college. An ivy league college, all on her own merit.

"I'm proud of you, kiddo," he confesses, giving her floppy bun a soft tug.

"You are?  _ Really _ ?"

The look she's wearing is one he knows well, because he used to wear it as Robin— back when he was tiny and new and desperate for approval. It's a look that Damian wears when he thinks no one is watching. A look that gives away the desperate need for validation that they all face. Suddenly, it becomes almost a thousand times more touching that she wanted him to be the first read the letter.

"Yeah. I am," he croaks, eyes welling up with hot tears.

"Oh my god, are you  _ crying _ ?"

"Nope."

"You are. You totally are. You're so proud of me that you're crying!"

"These….are tears of revulsion. You  _ stink _ . Please shower."

She laughs, bold and bright. "My stinky ass is going to college!"

"Yeah be all excited now. When Bruce finds out, he's going to be that college dad that buys all the school merch  _ and _ shows up to the events."


End file.
